Small Spaces

Eleven-year-old Ollie stumbles upon a woman threatening to throw a book into a river. After rescuing the book, Ollie discovers it contains an eerie local tale about a deal made with a sinister figure known as "the smiling man." A class field trip to a nearby farm connects to the book's disturbing story in unexpected ways. When the school bus breaks down at dusk, Ollie's broken digital wristwatch begins a countdown and displays cryptic warnings about staying in small spaces. Together with two classmates, Ollie must navigate through fog-shrouded woods while following the rules laid out in the mysterious book. The trio faces supernatural threats as night falls and time runs out. This middle-grade horror story explores grief, friendship, and courage through the lens of New England folk horror. The narrative asks questions about what people will sacrifice for what they love most, and how to face fears both supernatural and deeply personal.

Readers describe Small Spaces as a creepy middle-grade horror story that delivers genuine scares while remaining age-appropriate. Many note the atmospheric New England fall setting and the subtle building of tension. Liked: - Strong character development, especially protagonist Ollie - Unpredictable plot twists - Effective balance of spooky elements and emotional depth - Incorporation of grief themes without overwhelming the story - Works for both middle-grade and adult readers Disliked: - Some found the first third slow-paced - A few readers wanted more resolution to certain plot threads - Several mentioned the scarecrow elements felt underdeveloped Ratings: Goodreads: 4.1/5 (22,000+ ratings) Amazon: 4.6/5 (1,100+ ratings) Barnes & Noble: 4.6/5 (200+ ratings) Common reader comment: "Perfect fall reading that actually gave me chills without being too scary for kids."

Hide and Seeker by Daka Hermon A middle-grade horror follows children who must rescue their friends from a shadowy realm after playing an innocent game of hide-and-seek.

Spirit Hunters by Ellen Oh A Korean-American girl moves into a haunted house and discovers she comes from a family of ghost hunters who must protect the living from malevolent spirits.

The Night Gardener by Jonathan Auxier Two orphaned siblings take jobs at a mansion where they encounter a sinister tree that grants wishes through nightmares.

Dead Voices by Katherine Arden The next installment after Small Spaces follows the same characters trapped in a ski lodge during a blizzard with three ghosts who want to claim their souls.

The Peculiar Incident on Shady Street by Lindsay Currie A girl moves to Chicago and faces unexplained events in her new house connected to the ghost of a violin prodigy from the 1920s.

🎃 The book was inspired by Katherine Arden's own childhood fear of scarecrows and her time spent living in rural Vermont. 🌾 Small Spaces is Arden's first middle-grade novel; she was already well-known for her adult fantasy Winternight trilogy set in medieval Russia. 👻 The story's eerie autumn atmosphere draws from New England folklore and the region's historic connection to both farming and ghost stories. 🚌 The yellow school bus featured in the story was based on a real broken-down bus Arden spotted in a field while driving through Vermont's countryside. 🌟 The book won multiple awards including the Rhode Island Children's Book Award and was named one of Amazon's Best Children's Books of 2018.